Projectile.



No. 703,411. Patented Sept. 2. I902. J. B. SEMPLE. I PRUJ L E.

, Application en ay 9. 1802. N0 Model.)

WITNESSES is a specification.-

UNITED STATES P TEN OFFICE.

JOHN .B. SEMPLE, F sEwIc'KLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

' PROJ ECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 708,411, dated September 2, 1902. Application filed May 9,1902. Serial No; 106,600. (No an.)

To all whom it may concern.-

-Beitknow nthatI, JOHN B. SEMPLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Proj ectiles,of-which improvements the following The invention certain improvements in proj ectiles, such im provements having for their object the combination, with the fuse or other device em- .ployed. for igniting the explosive charge in a projectile, of-suitable means whereby the path or flight of the projectile may be readily visible. 1

. In Letters Patent No. 694,032, granted February 2, 1902, I have described and shown certain improvementsin projectiles, such improvements consisting, generally stated, in va pyrotechnic compound arrangedin a chain her carried by the shell and adapted to be ignited by the gases generated on/the combustion of the driving charge. In Letters Patent No. 581,946, granted May 4, 1897, and in an application, Serial No. 71,866, filed August 12,1901, I have described and claimed f urther and additional improvements in the arrangement 'of the pyrotechnic compound and the means for igniting, the same.

The invention described herein consists, in general terms, in the combination, with a fuse or other mechanism adapted to ignite the explosive charge;carried by the projectile, of a pyrotechnic compound and means forigniting the same on or afterthe discharge of the projectile from the gun.

' Theinvention is hereinafter more fullyde scribed and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figurel isa sectail view.

.tional view showing the application of my im provement to minor-caliber projectiles. Fig.

2'is a similar view's'howin-g the construction .employed in applying the improvement to.

major-caliber projectiles, and Fig. 3 is a do While not limiting myself as regards the 3 scope of the broad terms of the claims here- .59

inafter m ade to the particular forms or constructions herein shownor described, I have described herein relates to deemed it best to illustrate my improvement in connection with the standard forms of shell and igniting mechanism usually employed in this country.

As shown in the drawings, the mechanism employed igniting the shell-rupturin g charge consists of a percussion-cap 1, surrounded by an easily-ignitible material and supportedin a recess in a' disk 2, held within a socket formed in a plug 3, adapted to be secured in the rear end of the projectile. The recess in the disk has a port or opening through which the flame of the ignitible material in the recess enters the chamber in the projectile. Within the socket isarr'anged .a hammer.- block .4, provided with a point adaptedto strike'and explodethe cap when the blockis caused to move forward by'the impact-of the projectile against any object. This block is usually held about midway between the ends of the socket by a light wire 5,passing through the blockand the walls of the socket. As the projectile is forced forward by the driving charge-in the gun theinertia of the blockwill hold the same temporarily-stationary, so that the projectile will move forward independent of the block a sufficient distance torupture or stretch the wire, and the block'will remain in the rear end of the socket until the projectile strikes an object, when the block will move forward and ignite the cap.' The plug usually employed for this purpose is short and extends into or nearly into the cavity which contains the exploding or rupturing charge. .In the practice of my invention I employa longer plug and arrange the igniting mechanism for the rupturing charge at the inner-end thereof, This plug is provided with an axial pas sage or chamber for the reception of the pyrotechnic compound 6, which may be ignited by any suitable means, such means being pref- .erably carried by the plug. The means preferably employed for igniting this pyrotechnic compound is substantially similar to that shown and described in Letters Patent- No.

694,032, above referred to, andconsists of the formation of a chamber 7 for the reception ofgases at theouter end of the chamber containing the pyrotechnic compound and ar-f ranging in such chamber a movable abutment.

or disk adapted to be shifted by expansion of gases in said chamber and through suitable interposed devices ignite the pyrotechnic compound.

A desirable construction of igniting means for the pyrotechnic compound consists of a disk 8, supported on ashoulderatornear end of the chamber 7 and connected to a pin 9, on which is mounted a cap 10, containing a material adapted to be ignited'by friction. This cap is embedded in the pyrotechnic compound, which is preferably covered with an expansible washer 11. This washer, which-is provided on its outer face with an annular groove or recess, is adapted to be expanded by gases entering the expansion-chamber 7 and. protect the pyrotechnic compound and prevent the withdrawal of the cap 10 with the pin 9. Thispin has the portion within the cap roughened, so that when pulled out of the cap sufficient heat will be generated to ignite the material in the cap. When the driving chargeis exploded, the gases from such charge enter the chamber 7 through a port or opening which 'may be formed around the pin 9,

and as soon as the disk is freed from outer pressure of the gasesfrom the driving charge the gases in the chamber will expand, forcing the disk away. and pulling the primer-pin out through thecap, so as to ignite the pyrotechnic compound. As the gases enter the chamber they will cause the washer to expand against the walls of thechamber in the plug and protect the compound and prevent the withdrawal of the cap with the pin. After the ignition of the pyrotechnic compound the gases generated thereby will force the washer out, so that the flame from the'com pound will project from the rear of the projectile.

As the cavity in shells of minor caliber is comparatively small, the plug carrying the pyrotechnic compound and the mechanism for igniting the rupturing charge is so constructed that only a portion thereof projects into this cavity, the remaining portion projecting into the case containing the driving charge, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. When applying my invention to projectiles of major caliber having a cavity thereinof comparati vely large dimensions, the plug is arranged almost entirely within the projectile, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As in this construction the charge would act directly-against the end of the plug, it is preferred to protect the pyrotechnic compound by an auxiliary disk or plate 12, havinga port or opening through which the gases entera chamber between the disks 8 and 12, and thence pass into the expanding chamber 7 at the inner'end of the.

charge of pyrotechnic compound. When the projectile is driven out of the gun, the auxiliary disk will be first blown away by the expansion of the gases between said disks and then the main disk driven out, drawing with it the primer-pin, whereby the pyrotechnic compound isignited.

It is characteristic of my improvement that the addition of the pyrotechnic compound and its igniting mechanism does not require any change or alteration of projectiles now in use and no additional labor in applying it to a projectile and that no means other than that employed. for attaching the mechanism for igniting the rupturing charge to the projectile are employed, as the pyrotechnic mechanism and that employed for igniting the rupturing charge are carried by the same structure-11. e., the plug, which in the construction shown is threaded, so as to screw into the usual threaded opening formed for the reception of the fuse mechanism.

I claim herein as my invention 1. A fuse mechanism for igniting the rupturing charge of a projectile in combination with a pyrotechnic compound, means for igniting said compound, and common means for connecting said parts to a projectile, substantially as set forth. j

2. A mechanism for igniting the rupturing charge of a projectile in combination with a pyrotechnic compound, means for igniting said compound, said parts being united in a common structure and means for attaching such structure to a projectile, substantially as set forth. t

3. The combination of a plug or block, mechanism for igniting the rupturing charge of a projectile arranged at one end of said block, a chamber for a pyrotechnic compound formed within the block, means for igniting the said compound arranged at the opposite end of the block or plug, and means for connecting the plug or block'to a projectile, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a plug or block having a socket or recess at one end and provided with a chamber extending from the opposite end, mechanism for igniting the rupturing charge of a projectile arranged in the socket or recess, and a pyrotechnic compound and its igniting mechanism arranged within the chamber, and means for connecting the plug or block to a projectile, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I' have hereunto set my hand JOHN B. SEMPLE.

Witnesses:

DARWIN S. Wonoorr, F. E. GAITHER. 

